daveydoom Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 Anyone here have any experience with either of these? I've used them a few times with great success but now I have a problem that I think may be related to one of them.I just imaged a laptop that was dual booting Win2k and Win98 (notice how I said "was") . Ever since I imaged it I can no longer boot into Win98. Win2k boots fine but when you select Win98 an error message is displayed stating that there's an unmountable boot device.The boot.ini file is fine and the hard drive is fine since Win2k works so I'm assuming that when I used Gparted to shrink the partition from one large partition into two smaller partitions I must have borked the Win98 system. It's either that or DriveImage XML borked it when imaging (although that's doubtful).Any thoughts?Thanks, Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 (edited) Most likely Gparted. How was the disk setup originally? Win98 and W2K on the same partition? Edited November 7, 2007 by b2cm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 7, 2007 Author Share Posted November 7, 2007 (edited) Win98 and W2K on the same partition?Yes. Perhaps Gparted plays nicely with NTFS drives but not so nicely with FAT32 drives? Edited November 7, 2007 by daveydoom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 Can you post the boot.ini file content here? I'm assuming Win2k and Win98 is still on the same partition, the first primary partition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 (edited) I use DI XML to backup and restore periodically with no problem both NTFS and FAT32 partitions.I also have W98 and W2K on a single partition drive and found that that only works if the drive is FAT32 not NTFS. W2K was added after W98 was on the drive so that may play a role. In my boot.ini all I have for W98 is: C:\=Windows 98SEHow big is the hd OS partition? I recall something in the back of my mind that the IO.SYS has to be located in the very front of the drive but I can't confirm that. Edited November 7, 2007 by EdP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 7, 2007 Author Share Posted November 7, 2007 Can you post the boot.ini file content here?Later tonight, yes.I'm assuming Win2k and Win98 is still on the same partition, the first primary partition.YesIn my boot.ini all I have for W98 is: C:\=Windows 98SEThis one just says C:\=WindowsHow big is the hd OS partition? I recall something in the back of my mind that the IO.SYS has to be located in the very front of the drive but I can't confirm that.The O/S partition is 18.5 Gig (rounded) and the second partition is 18.6 Gig (rounded). The O/S partition is slightly smaller than the second partition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 This one just says C:\=Windows It's what's before the = sign that counts and we are the same.You have IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS on the drive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 7, 2007 Author Share Posted November 7, 2007 (edited) You have IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS on the drive?Not sure, I'll have to check later tonight. I'm at work right now. Edited November 7, 2007 by daveydoom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 7, 2007 Author Share Posted November 7, 2007 You have IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS on the drive?Yes they are both there.Here's a copy of the Boot.ini file:[boot loader]timeout=30default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT[operating systems]multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetectC:\="Microsoft Windows" I'm using that laptop right now in Win2k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 The error at boot up is actually "Invalid system disk". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 Try changing:C:\="Microsoft Windows"toC:\Windows="Windows 98 SE" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 No dice. I know it always did say Microsoft Windows to begin with because that was always the choice.Could the IO.SYS file and/or the MSDOS.SYS file have become corrupted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 (edited) Ok, I made something happen. Not sure if it's good or bad though .While booting from my Win98 boot CD, at the DOS prompt I typed sys c: (saw it on a website while searching for info...what did I have to lose?).Now the machine boots into Win98 (Yeaa!!!) however, it boots straight into Win98. The option to choose Win2k is no longer available (D'oh!!!).Hehe....what now? This is all new to me. Edited November 8, 2007 by daveydoom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 I know it always did say Microsoft Windows to begin with because that was always the choice.It doesn't matter what is between the quotation marks, but that which goes before the =. C:\Windows is a more definitive way to direct the the W2k bootloader to look at the Windows folder. Could the IO.SYS file and/or the MSDOS.SYS file have become corrupted?Probably. The way to resolve that is to boot from a Win98 boot disk and do a 'sys c:' at the command prompt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 The way to resolve that is to boot from a Win98 boot disk and do a 'sys c:' at the command prompt. Too funny. We must have been posting at the same time. I'm still stuck without two boot options though . The contents of the boot.ini file are still correct though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 Too funny. We must have been posting at the same time.My Opera is having problems with SFNL Forums. You need to fix the partition boot sector.http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms954431.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 The ERD utility's only drawback is that it requires access to a 3.5" floppy disk driveeven if all you want to do is back up the registry files to the \regback directory. For laptop or notebook users, this requirement can be a bit of a handicap.Problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 (edited) No, what you should use is the Recovery Console. Boot from your Win2k CD:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/229716At the command prompt run 'fixboot c:' FIXBOOTfixboot drive name:Use this command (where drive name is the drive letter where the boot sector will be written) to write the new Windows boot sector code on the boot partition. This command fixes problems where the Windows boot sector is corrupted. The Emergency Repair process also fixes the boot sector. This command overrides the default of writing to the system boot partition. Edited November 8, 2007 by b2cm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 As soon as I use the FIXBOOT command I get the dual boot options again and Win2k works but I'm right back to the same error if I choose Win98:"Invalid system disk" I can't win for losing here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 Am currently reviewing this page:http://www.thpc.info/dual/repairdualboot.htmlMay have to continue tomorrow . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 At least we know you don't have corrupted boot files.Try Ed's boot.ini entry:C:\=Windows 98SE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 No go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 I'm off to bed but I wanted to leave one last message tonight:When I open my bootsect.dos file it appears to be corrupt. Along with a bunch of garbage, it says:Invalid system diskReplace the disk, and then press and keyBoy, does that sound familiar? That's the message I get when I choose Win98 from the boot menu.Can someone with a dual boot check their bootsect.dos file to see what the contents are? The file is found at the root of the C:\ drive. Perhaps I'll have to create a new file, if I can find out what is supposed to be contained in the file .Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 I just started installing Win2K on my spare Win98 test machine before I left for work this morning so when I go at lunch I'll have my own dual boot machine. I can then check the bootsect.dos file on that machine .I'm crossing my fingers that this is the problem. I love learning new things . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 (edited) When I open my bootsect.dos file it appears to be corrupt.Try this:C:\bootsect.dos="Microsoft Windows"I just started installing Win2K on my spare Win98 test machine before I left for work this morning so when I go at lunch I'll have my own dual boot machine. I can then check the bootsect.dos file on that machine.This file is machine-specific so you cannot just copy the bootsect.dos of one rig to another. In case you got a bad bootsect.dos file, you can recreate one using this:http://www.winimage.com/bootpart.htm Edited November 8, 2007 by b2cm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 Try this:C:\bootsect.dos="Microsoft Windows"At the recovery console command prompt?In case you got a bad bootsect.dos file, you can recreate one using this:http://www.winimage.com/bootpart.htm I'll try that.Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 At the recovery console command prompt?No, the boot.ini file. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 (edited) There is another option, try using GRUB4DOS to boot your OSs. See http://grub4dos.sourceforge.net/wiki/index...ub4dos_tutorialBut initially just try the GRLDR. Copy it and the menu.lst to the C:\ root then in your boot.ini add: C:\grldr="Start GRUB ldr"If it loads then we can modify the menu.lst to boot Win 98.BTW You're a jinx. After I posted yesterday I lost my dual boot capabilities on my W2K/W98 machine. All I could get to come up was the Diagnostic partition. Edited November 8, 2007 by EdP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 There is another option, try using GRUB4DOS to boot your OSs. See http://grub4dos.sourceforge.net/wiki/index...ub4dos_tutorialBut initially just try the GRLDR. Copy it and the menu.lst to the C:\ root then in your boot.ini add: C:\grldr="Start GRUB ldr"If it loads then we can modify the menu.lst to boot Win 98.I'll give that a whirl after I edit the boot.ini file as per b2cm .BTW You're a jinx. After I posted yesterday I lost my dual boot capabilities on my W2K/W98 machine. All I could get to come up was the Diagnostic partition.I've been called worse . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveydoom Posted November 8, 2007 Author Share Posted November 8, 2007 in your boot.ini add: C:\grldr="Start GRUB ldr"Exaxctly where should I add this? Before the O/S options? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.